Idea #557 – Getting lost in the ruins of the Byzantine city of Umm er Rasas or Kastrom Mefa’
Situated in the southeast of Madaba in border of a semi-arid steppe, the archeological site of Um er rasas (in Arabic “Mother of the lead”), also known under the name of Kastrom Mefa’, has not be excavated yet. The site, which includes vestiges of Roman, Byzantine periods and the beginning of the Islam (of the end of the IIIth in the IXth century AD) was at first a Roman military camp, occupied with the end of the IVth century by a cavalry unit of the Roman legions, settled in this camp after a reorganization by Diocletian of the defenses of the empire borders. The exceptional value of the place stays in the vast establishment of Byzantine and Omeyyade period. These vestiges occupy the inside of the former Roman fortress and also extend outside of its walls in the North. The site contains 16 churches, and some possess well preserved mosaic on their ground, in particular the one of the church Saint-Etienne, which represents cities of the region during the antique time. For its original mix of civilizations, Um er Raas was registered since 2004 on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Um er Rasas, Madaba, Jordan